Snakes (Squamata)

This chapter examines snakes, starting with the Boa Constrictor. The arrival of the Boa Constrictor to the United States was associated with the pet trade, where it was first reported from Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida, in 1994 and thought to have been established. In light of its broad diet and potentially large body size, the Boa Constrictor places a wide range of vertebrates at risk through its depredations. Interestingly enough, however, unlike the Burmese python, the Boa Constrictor has remained confined to a small, if thriving, colony. The chapter then looks at harmless live-bearing snakes, including the Southern Watersnake, the Common Watersnake, and the Short-headed Gartersnake. It also considers pythons and blindsnakes.